What We Become: A Novel

From number-one best-selling author and Dagger Award winner Arturo Pérez-Reverte comes an epic historical tale following the dangerous and passionate love affair between a beautiful high society woman and an elegant thief. A story of romance, adventure, and espionage, this novel solidifies Pérez-Reverte as an international literary giant.

Queen Sugar: A Novel

Why exactly Charley Bordelon's late father left her eight hundred sprawling acres of sugarcane land in rural Louisiana is as mysterious as it was generous. Recognizing this as a chance to start over, Charley and her 11-year-old daughter, Micah, say good-bye to Los Angeles. They arrive just in time for growing season but no amount of planning can prepare Charley for a Louisiana that's mired in the past: as her judgmental but big-hearted grandmother tells her, cane farming is always going to be a white man's business.

The Power of the Dog

This explosive novel of the drug trade takes you deep inside a world riddled with corruption, betrayal, and bloody revenge. From the streets of New York City to Mexico City and Tijuana to the jungles of Central America, this is the war on drugs like you've never seen it.

The Syndicate: Carl Weber Presents

They were just kids when Claudette McPhearson took them all in. Eight of them all together. All different races and ethnic makeups, but she loved them as her own. One woman taught them how to love, trust, and respect one another. She was the only glue that kept them together, the only one they wanted to please and never let down. She had been their light at the end of a long troublesome tunnel - it shined so bright. Then, one dreadful day, it all came to a crashing halt.

The Girl on the Train: A Novel

Audie Award, Audiobook of the Year, 2016. Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning. Every day she rattles down the track, flashes past a stretch of cozy suburban homes, and stops at the signal that allows her to daily watch the same couple breakfasting on their deck. She’s even started to feel like she knows them. "Jess and Jason," she calls them. Their life—as she sees it—is perfect. Not unlike the life she recently lost. And then she sees something shocking. It’s only a minute until the train moves on, but it’s enough. Now everything’s changed. Unable to keep it to herself, Rachel offers what she knows to the police, and becomes inextricably entwined in what happens next, as well as in the lives of everyone involved. Has she done more harm than good? Compulsively readable, The Girl on the Train is an emotionally immersive, Hitchcockian thriller and an electrifying debut.

B-More Careful: A Novel

Growing up on the cold, mean, inner-city streets of Baltimore is Netta, leader of an all-girl clique called the Pussy Pound. With no father and a dope fiend for a mother, Netta learns at an early age how to use her beauty and her body to get the things she wants: money, cars, and jewelry. Chasing the almighty dollar, she meets Black, a local drug dealer with a deep-seated hatred for New Yorkers who falls head over heels in love with her.

Gangster Warlords

In a ranch south of Texas, the man known as The Executioner dumps 500 body parts in metal barrels. In Brazil's biggest city, a mysterious prisoner orders hit men to gun down 41 police officers and prison guards in two days. In Southern Mexico a meth maker is venerated as a saint while enforcing Old Testament justice on his enemies. A new kind of criminal kingpin has arisen: part CEO, part terrorist, and part rock star, unleashing guerrilla attacks, strong-arming governments, and taking over much of the world's trade in narcotics, guns, and humans.

The Whistler

Lacy Stoltz is an investigator for the Florida Board on Judicial Conduct. She is a lawyer, not a cop, and it is her job to respond to complaints dealing with judicial misconduct. After nine years with the board, she knows that most problems are caused by incompetence, not corruption. But a corruption case eventually crosses her desk. A previously disbarred lawyer is back in business with a new identity. He now goes by the name Greg Myers, and he claims to know of a Florida judge who has stolen more money than all other crooked judges combined.

They're Playing Our Song: A Memoir

Grammy and Academy Award-winning songwriter Carole Bayer Sager shares the remarkably frank and darkly funny story of her life in and out of the recording studio, from her fascinating (and sometimes calamitous) relationships to her collaborations with some of the greatest composers and musical artists of our time.

Business Is Business: Business Is Business Series, Book 1

Meet Derrick Mason, one of the most ruthless drug dealers ever to walk the streets. He and his family control over 50 percent of the drug traffic in New York City. Things are going good until Derrick is forced to make a tough decision that could change his family's lives forever. He knows the wrong decision could start an all-out war with men 10 times more powerful than him. With so much on his plate, Derrick has to push his emotions to the side and remember that business is business.

The Cartel 6: The Demise

Las Vegas: a city built on obscene wealth and corrupt deals, cunning entrepreneurs, and the ruthless mob. The Cartel's plan to open a casino will rake in cash, but it comes with great sacrifice. The stakes have never been this high, and the rules of the game have never been this hard to manipulate. And when one dead girl, one scorned wife, and one hole in the desert launch a chain of catastrophic events, the Cartel is sent on a downward spiral as they battle the Arabian mob and fight traitors within their circle.

Robert Ludlum's (TM) The Bourne Enigma

On the eve of Russian general Boris Karpov's wedding, Jason Bourne receives an enigmatic message from his old friend and fellow spymaster. In Moscow, what should be a joyous occasion turns bloody and lethal. Now Bourne is the only one who can decipher Karpov's cryptogram. He discovers that Karpov has betrayed his sovereign to warn Bourne of a crippling disaster about to be visited on the world. Bourne has only four days to discover the nature of the disaster and stop it.

The Black Hand: The Bloody Rise and Redemption of "Boxer" Enriquez, a Mexican Mob Killer

Rene "Boxer" Enriquez grew up on the violent streets of East L.A., where gang fights, robberies, and drive-by shootings were fueled by rage, drugs, and alcohol. When he finally landed in prison - at the age of 19 - Enriquez found an organization that brought him the respect he always wanted: the near-mythic and widely feared Mexican Mafia, La Eme. What the organization saw in Enriquez was a young man who knew no fear and would kill anyone - justifiably or not - in the blink of an eye.

Ghetto Bastard

Tayshawn Torres is a child born in the slums and cursed by the sins of his parents. His mother is a notorious drug addict and whore who's more concerned with getting her next high than she is with Tayshawn's well-being. His stepfather hates him so much, he literally treats him like an animal, forcing him to sleep in a cage and scavenge for scraps of food wherever he can find them.

Prince Lestat and the Realms of Atlantis: The Vampire Chronicles, Book 12

At the novel's center: the vampire Lestat de Lioncourt, hero, leader, inspirer, irresistible force, irrepressible spirit, battling (and ultimately reconciling with) a strange otherworldly form that has somehow taken possession of Lestat's undead body and soul. This ancient and mysterious power and unearthly spirit of vampire lore has all the force, history, and insidious reach of the unknowable universe.

Captain Alatriste

Captain Alatriste is the story of a fictional 17th-century Spanish soldier who, after being wounded in battle during the Thirty Years' War, is forced to retire from the army. Now he lives the comparatively tame, though hardly quiet, life of a swordsman-for-hire in Madrid. Approached with an offer of work, Alatriste is told to go with another hired blade to an unfamiliar part of the city at midnight and wait.

32 Candles: A Novel

Davie—an ugly duckling growing up in small-town Mississippi—is positive her life couldn’t be any worse. She has the meanest mother in the South, possibly the world, and on top of that, she’s pretty sure she’s ugly. Just when she’s resigned herself to her fate, she sees a movie that will change her life—Sixteen Candles. But in her case, life doesn’t imitate art.

Behind Closed Doors

Everyone knows a couple like Jack and Grace. He has looks and wealth; she has charm and elegance. He's a dedicated attorney who has never lost a case; she is a flawless homemaker, a masterful gardener and cook, and dotes on her disabled younger sister. Though they are still newlyweds, they seem to have it all. You might not want to like them, but you do. You're hopelessly charmed by the ease and comfort of their home, by the graciousness of the dinner parties they throw. You’d like to get to know Grace better.

The Underground Railroad (Oprah's Book Club)

The Newest Oprah Book Club 2016 Selection. Cora is a slave on a cotton plantation in Georgia. Life is hell for all the slaves but especially bad for Cora; an outcast even among her fellow Africans, she is coming into womanhood - where even greater pain awaits. When Caesar, a recent arrival from Virginia, tells her about the Underground Railroad, they decide to take a terrifying risk and escape. Matters do not go as planned - Cora kills a young white boy who tries to capture her. Though they manage to find a station and head north, they are being hunted.

Diamonds and Pearl

They say that good girls like bad boys, and this was especially true for Pearl Stone, a child born of privilege to a drug baron and reputed killer known in the streets as Big Stone. Although the flashy, fast-paced nature of the streets calls to Pearl, she's been brought up to look but not touch. Yet when a young hustler named Diamonds crawls up from the swamps of Louisiana and sets up shop in New York City, everything Pearl was taught flies out the window.

The Chemist

She used to work for the US government, but very few people ever knew that. An expert in her field, she was one of the darkest secrets of an agency so clandestine it doesn't even have a name. And when they decided she was a liability, they came for her without warning. Now she rarely stays in the same place or uses the same name for long. They've killed the only other person she trusted, but something she knows still poses a threat. They want her dead, and soon.

Truly Madly Guilty

In Truly Madly Guilty, Liane Moriarty takes on the foundations of our lives: marriage, sex, parenthood, and friendship. She shows how guilt can expose the fault lines in the most seemingly strong relationships, how what we don't say can be more powerful than what we do, and how sometimes it is the most innocent of moments that can do the greatest harm.

Travel back to a small Southern town where, before there was Duncan Motors, there were the Duncan brothers: Louis, aka Sweet Lou, a lover of ladies and life and a man you did not want to cross; Lawrence, aka Larry, a screw-up as attracted to trouble as it was to him; and Lavernius, better known as LC, the soft-spoken college boy who simply wanted to sell cars.

Publisher's Summary

Few authors inspire the kind of passion that Arturo Pérez-Reverte does. Reviewers, readers, and booksellers alike have embraced his fiction as the perfect blend of suspense and literary ambition. A global best seller, he is one of the most admired and widely read authors in the world. And his stunning new novel is his best yet.

A remarkable tale, The Queen of the South spans continents, from the dusty streets of Mexico to the sparkling waters off the coast of Morocco, to Spain and the Strait of Gibraltar. A sweeping story set to the irresistible beat of the drug smugglers' ballads, it encompasses sensuality and cruelty, love and betrayal, as its heroine's story unfolds.

Teresa Mendoza's boyfriend is a drug smuggler who the narcos of Sinaloa, Mexico, call "the king of the short runway", because he can get a plane full of coke off the ground in 300 yards. But in a ruthless business, life can be short, and Teresa even has a special cell phone that Guero gave her along with a dark warning. If that phone rings, it means he's dead, and she'd better run, because they're coming for her next.

Then the call comes.

In order to survive, she will have to say goodbye to the old Teresa, an innocent girl who once entrusted her life to a drug smuggler. She will have to find inside herself a woman who is tough enough to inhabit a world as ugly and dangerous as that of the narcos, a woman she never before knew existed. Indeed, the woman who emerges will surprise even those who know her legend, that of the Queen of the South.

What the Critics Say

"A frightening, fascinating look at the international business of transporting cocaine and hashish as well as a portrait of a smart, fast, daring and lucky woman, Teresa Mendoza." (Publishers Weekly) "A thriller with an almost meditative tone, the novel's energy comes not only from the action scenes, which are expertly delivered, but also from the monologues in which Mendoza struggles with the multiple contradictions in her life. Many Perez-Reverte readers will be...drawn in by the author's remarkable eloquence and ability to plumb the recesses of a character's psyche." (Booklist)

The story is excellent, I love this author and have read several of his books, however the narration on this particular book was beyond bad. The narrator's pronunciation of the Spanish words made it impossible for me to listen to, I wouldn't expect excellent pronunciation but this was just horrible. I never finished it, I bought the book and read it. I would not recommend the audible version.

A very long book, which seemed ten times its length thanks to the stultifying monotone of the narrator! It was one of the most robotic readings I've ever heard, and I listen to books continually. To add to the irritation, it's full of Spanish words, and about 40% of them were mispronounced. I cringed every time Don Epifanio's name had to be mentioned again-- epifa-NEE-o, as she interpreted it. Some repeated words got different pronunciations as she went along. Absolutely no characterization of the zillions of characters-- they might have all been the same person- with the exception of a couple of characters toward the end, who suddenly sported unplaceable accents. Just one of the worst audio experiences I've had! I would've given up after the first couple of hours, but I found the book itself unpleasant enough that I knew marooning myself in the car with it was the only chance I had of getting through it-- I was reading it for a bookclub. I do NOT recommend this performance-- and while I'm not a fan of the book, I wonder how much of my antipathy stems from the performance. If I were the author, I'd ask for it to be re-recorded with a superior narrator.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

least interesting: endless descriptions of speedboats and motors and other technical things. Perhaps it was an homage to MOBY DICK's famous pages of whaling minutiae!

How could the performance have been better?

I fear that reader may be a hopeless cause. That sort of monotone in an adult doesn't just go away! however, she, or a director, could've made sure they at least got all the Spanish right.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Bitter disappointment! Also, irritation at the number of hours squandered listening to it.

The character portrayals are rich and colorful. The action is plentiful and exciting, but the detailed descriptions of the inner workings, methods and 'protocols' of drug and contraband trafficking are truly impressive. The personalities of the main characters felt 'real' psychologically, especially Teresa, the trafficker despite herself. The story kept me involved right to the end. I need to find more by this author!

Sorry I ever listened to this in translation. The narrator was absolutely the worst. Not even close: a bracelet worn by La Reina is made of "centenarios," a centennial coin. The narrator called them "seminarios" (seminaries!) throughout. She appears to think if she gives it a bit of "flair" it will sound good. It would be laughable but for the fact I assume this person is a professional. I could have done it better in my sleep.

It's hard do you understand how the author came to some of the descriptions of Teresa Mendoza. However, the story is so fascinating. My only negative comment is that the story is told from the point of view of the male author and read by a female. It underscores the dichotomy of woman's point of view man's point of view, a theme that is throughout the story. One of the interesting aspects of the story is the independent minded lead character. It feels as if her strong personality and notorious behavior overshadow any other characters. Perhaps that is true with life, when there is a strong woman. The men in her life fade. It is interesting to see how the author piece together the transactions and the flow of drugs and money. It is also fascinating to see the growth of the business at the time. It is easy to understand why, and Mexico's current culture, this has become such a lightning rod. Obviously, the character of Teresa is far removed from the average woman. The way that the story is told the auto pays close attention to creating suspense riveting attention not boring with details and bringing a whole lot of personal intuitive knowledge of the characters to make the story so interesting. It is also quite the path, from the young girl to the woman at the end of the story. It is a fascinating book